1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium such as a paper sheet by discharging ink, and more particularly, it relates to a convey apparatus for conveying a recording medium after recording.
2. Related Background Art
In conventional ink jet recording apparatuses in which the recording is effected by discharging ink, for example, as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-226379 (1989), a convey apparatus for conveying a recording medium discharged from a recording portion includes spur-like rotary members (referred to as "spurs" hereinafter) associated with a discharge roller and adapted to discharge the recording medium from the recording portion, and absorb members (acting as means for removing ink transferred to the spurs from the recorded surface of the recording medium) slidingly contacted with peripheral surfaces (particularly, tips of teeth) of the rotating spurs, so that the ink transferred to the spurs are absorbed to prevent the ink from transferring onto the recording medium.
An example of such convey apparatus is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.
Spurs 16 serve to urge a recording medium 6 against a discharge roller 15 (for discharging the recording medium 6 from a recording portion) disposed at a downstream side of a recording head in a recording medium conveying direction and driven by a motor (not shown) through a gear train. Spur cleaners 17 made of water-absorbing material are urged against peripheral surfaces of the corresponding spurs 16 and are rotated by the movement of the spurs 16. The spurs 16 are held by respective spur supports 18 and the spur cleaners 17 are held by respective spur cleaner supports 19. A spur shaft 20 for supporting the corresponding spur and a spur cleaner shaft 21 for supporting the corresponding spur cleaner are rotatably mounted on a corresponding spur guide 22.
On the other hand, the spur guides 22 are mounted on a spur guide shaft 23 extending in parallel with the discharge roller 15 so that the spurs can be rocked toward and away from the discharge roller 15. However, the spurs are urged against the discharge roller 15 by a biasing means (not shown).
As shown in FIG. 6, each spur 16 abuts against a central portion of the corresponding spur cleaner 17 in a widthwise direction thereof. With this arrangement, the recording medium frequently reaches the discharge roller 15 before the ink on the recorded surface of the recording medium is completely dried depending upon the discharge amount of ink in a recording mode of an ink jet recording apparatus, by removing the ink transferred to the spurs 16 from the recorded surface of the recording medium 6 by means of the spur cleaners 17. Thus, the ink can be prevented from transferring to the recorded surface form the spurs 16 again.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, since the spurs always abut against the same portions of the spur cleaners, the service life of the spur cleaners is shortened.
Further, as shown in FIG. 7, since the ink 26 removed from the spurs 16 are accumulated in the same portions of the spur cleaners 17, the absorbing efficiency of each spur cleaner per unit area is worsened, and, thus, the ink removing ability is reduced. Conversely, it is feared that the ink accumulated in the spur cleaners 17 is transferred to the spurs 16 to smudge the recorded surface of the recording medium 6.